European patent for Bayer’s Yasmin overturned

Bayer announced that the Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office revoked the company’s formulation patent for its Yasmin (drospirenone/ethinylestradiol) family of oral contraceptives. The company indicated it will decide “on possible next steps…after studying the reasons of the decision.”

The patent office’s ruling follows an appeal from Novartis’ Hexal unit of a 2006 decision that had confirmed the patent. A Bayer spokeswoman said the ruling takes effect immediately, but she declined to comment on how soon generic versions of the Yasmin family of products, which had 1.1 billion euros in global sales last year, would reach the market.